ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Bahrain on Tuesday signed six documents relating to mutual cooperation in various sectors during the visit of Bahrian’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa to Pakistan.

King Al-Khalifa – who is on a three-day official visit to hold talks with Pakistani leadership on bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest – and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif witnessed the signing ceremony in Islamabad.

The agreements include, establishment of joint ministerial commission for bilateral cooperation, agreement for promotion and protection of investment, cooperation in food security, air services agreement, cooperation between interior ministries and cooperation in the fields of power and water.

Earlier during meeting with the King, Premier Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy close and cordial relations based on mutual trust and understanding.

The prime minister said that Pakistan provides better investment environment and Bahraini investors should take this opportunity for best returns.

The prime minister also hosted a dinner in honor of the King of Bahrain and the visiting delegation at the PM House.

Earlier, the King was warmly received by Prime Minister Sharif upon his and his cabinet members’ arrival in the country at the Nur Khan Airbase. Services chiefs and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were also present on the occasion.

A smartly turned-out contingent of the three services presented a salute to King Hamad, who is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Prime Minister Sharif.

The King reviewed the guard of honour. National anthems of Pakistan and Bahrain were also played on the occasion.

He is leading a high level delegation, including cabinet members, government officials and important businessmen.

According to a foreign office statement, the visit will provide a good opportunity to explore ways and means to further strengthen cooperation in diverse areas of interest, particularly in expanding bilateral trade and enhancing investments in Pakistan.

In this context, the visiting Bahraini businessmen will meet their Pakistani counterparts.

The two sides will also discuss ways to increase export of Pakistani manpower to Bahrain and to facilitate the one hundred thousand strong Pakistani community residing in the Kingdom, which serves as a bridge between the two brotherly countries and plays a positive role in the development of Bahrain as well as contributes to Pakistan's economy.

The visit is of special significance for being the first official visit of the King of Bahrain to Pakistan in four decades. The visit will give a new impetus to the existing fraternal bonds between the two countries, the FO statement added.

Considering Pakistans army played mercenary and held his country under his thumb during Arab Spring this guy better come through and sign something worthwhile...though a better trick would be for PA to stop being an arab mercenary.

Considering Pakistans army played mercenary and held his country under his thumb during Arab Spring this guy better come through and sign something worthwhile...though a better trick would be for PA to stop being an arab mercenary.

ISLAMABAD: King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain along with his delegation made an unprecedented visit to the Joint Services Headquarters (JSHQ) in Rawalpindi, said a press release issued by ISPR on Wednesday night.

Upon his arrival, King Hamad was received by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Rashad Mahmood. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt were also present on the occasion.

The ISPR press release said that both sides discussed “brotherly relations between the two countries and vowed to further enhance military cooperation.”

“Paying rich tributes to Pakistan's Military for its valour and sacrifices in defence of the motherland, His Majesty particularly praised professionalism, quality of training and commitment of Pakistan's Armed Forces,” it added.

King Hamad was also presented a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of tri-services.

Pakistan has been looking at the visit as an opportunity for expanding trade and promoting investment links but Bahrain appears more interested in bolstering defence relationship.

A Bahraini official said that in his talks with Pakistani leaders the king would touch upon current “regional and international developments as well as issues of mutual interest.”

It is routine for Pakistani services chiefs to pay courtesy calls on foreign heads of state and government while visiting Islamabad, but a trip by a foreign leader to the JSHQ is exceptional.

Moreover, Pakistan had previously aided Bahrain in setting up its naval forces and 18 per cent of the Gulf state’s air force comprises Pakistani personnel. It is estimated that over 10,000 Pakistanis are serving in security services of Bahrain.

The Bahrain government had in the past expressed interest in procuring defence equipment from Pakistan.

The king had begun his visit on Tuesday by meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House.

Sharif said Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy “close and cordial relations based on mutual trust and understanding.”

ISLAMABAD: The ‘Bahrain-Pakistan Business Forum’ held on the sidelines of the state visit of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa culminated here on Wednesday, with the signing of 17 agreements to promote trade.

Within hours of the arrival of the Bahraini king on Tuesday, Pakistan and Bahrain signed six agreements — the most important is the bilateral investment treaty and the food security.

Prior to the signing of 16 agreements mostly between private sectors of Pakistan and Bahrain on Wednesday, the Board of Investment (BoI) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) of Bahrain entered into a memorandum of understanding to promote business by working jointly towards economic growth and greater business harmony.

The BoI and EDB agreed to facilitate business meetings and delegations of the two countries for bilateral visits, organising road-shows, exhibitions and business forums.

The sectors identified include healthcare and education, food, textiles, manufacturing, financial services, ICT and professional and commercial services.

After signing the agreement, BoI Chairman Dr Miftah Ismail said Bahrain has also shown keen interest in banking sector and equity market.

Dr Ismail informed the Bahraini investors about the amazing amount of coal in Thar, saying that 182 billion tonnes reserves of coal are valued at $9 trillion, and invited investors in the exploration of coal reserves.

The Bahraini ministry of industry and commerce signed two agreements with private sector companies for food and packaging industries.

MoUs were signed between the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Similar agreements were also signed between BCCI with chambers of commerce of Karachi and Islamabad.

Other agreements were in the areas of petro-chemical, halal food, vegetable oil, livestock, rice, and engineering services.

A Bahraini business delegate complained that in the absence of business contacts with Pakistan, Bahrain is importing dried milk from India and milk products from Australia.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister Dr Musadak Malik termed Bahrain as an important financial hub for the countries of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Musadak said while Bahrain has energy, infrastructure and finances, Pakistan needs all these ingredients for economic development to bring the two countries much closer.

At the inaugural session of the business forum, Commerce Minister Ghulam Dastgir Khan stated that trade relations between the two countries would improve tremendously in the coming months.

Mr Dastgir said Bahrain because of its FTA with US, can utilise Pakistan’s strong textile base through joint ventures to increase its value added exports to US.

He said that the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is conspicuously low, which was a meagre $170 million in 2012-2013.

Bahraini Minister for Industry and Commerce Dr Hassan Fakhro explained the importance of Bahrain as hub of financial activities. Manama is a new economic city — an island for the next 30 years.

He urged Pakistani exporters to enter into business contracts with their Bahraini counterparts to export fruits and vegetables, poultry and poultry products, meat, rice and other commodities.

Notwithstanding the fanfare surrounding the king of Bahrain’s meeting on Wednesday with the top commanders of Pakistan’s armed forces at the joint staff headquarters in Rawalpindi, an increasingly baffling question refused to go away.

Beyond the limelight following a growing engagement recently between Pakistan’s ruling structure and the Saudi-led Arab world, exactly who gains what remains unclear in the public eye.

Three years after a popular uprising rocked Bahrain, Pakistan’s role in quelling that popular unrest remains an actively discussed subject. At best, Pakistani officials have confirmed knowledge of retired uniformed personnel having been engaged by Bahrain’s security establishment for training purposes. But the numbers are far from clear.

Meanwhile, the arrival in Pakistan of Sheikh Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the ruler of Bahrain, has coincided with a widely talked about controversy emanating from the mysterious case of the $1.5 billion which according to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar were given by a ‘friendly country’ to bolster Pakistan’s depleting foreign reserves.

Though still not confirmed officially, Pakistan remains abuzz with suggestions that the funds were given by Saudi Arabia following last month’s high-profile visit to Islamabad by Saudi crown prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud.

For members of Pakistan’s pro-Saudi lobby, the support is a repeat of Riyadh’s past benevolence showered in forms like the practically free-of-charge oil given for three years to Pakistan after Islamabad’s 1998 nuclear tests. Without the previous Saudi largesse, the economic sanctions following Pakistan’s entry to the global nuclear club could have had a significantly more crippling effect on the country, goes the argument.

Yet, the stakes are much higher for Pakistan at a time when its increasingly challenged internal security environment has thrown up possibly the worst challenge in the nation’s history.

The danger of Pakistan getting sucked into the considerable security challenges faced by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain while its internal conditions remain deeply unsettled will likely continue to evoke controversy.

In a powerful reminder of the uncertainty surrounding Bahrain, a Bahraini court on Wednesday sentenced 11 defendants each to a 15 year prison term. They were convicted of “manufacturing bombs for terror purposes”.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s growing engagement with Islamabad has prompted suggestions of the ruling establishment in Riyadh seeking Islamabad’s support to bolster itself on two fronts — the southern frontline along the border with Yemen and to the north to face internal security challenges as well as tackling any possible spillover from conflict-stricken Syria.

Media reports have gone further to claim that the Saudis have asked Pakistan to help arm and train Syrian dissidents facing president Bashar al-Assad’s embattled regime. Not surprising though, these reports have prompted concerns from a range of well-positioned critics among Pakistan’s political representatives and policy watchers.

According to Farhatullah Babar, a senator of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), “Serious questions need to be answered by the government. It is inconceivable that somebody gives you $1.5 billion and there is no quid pro quo. That has never happened before”.

Senator Babar further warned of the wider regional consequences for Pakistan’s security if the country is proven to have taken sides in active Middle-East conflicts. “If Pakistan supports any one side in the Syrian conflict that will exacerbate sectarian tensions within Pakistan and keep the border with Iran on the boil,” he added, echoing an oft-repeated concern over the fallout for Pakistan from becoming entangled in a sharpened Shia-Sunni divide in its surrounding region.

For long-term observers of Pakistan’s military engagement with Saudi Arabia, the recently reported requests are not without precedent. “In the 1980s our troops were there at a time when the Saudis faced an external threat from a spillover of the Gulf war,” said retired Brigadier Farooq Hameed Khan, a commentator on Pakistan’s defence affairs.

Brigadier Khan however warned that suggestions of “Pakistan getting sucked in to a wider conflict especially a sectarian conflict” has significantly raised the stakes for Islamabad. “Pakistani weapons in no way should be used anywhere in the Gulf in a conflict situation,” he added, referring to unconfirmed reports of a Saudi request for light arms to be provided by Pakistan to the Syrian opposition.

While the debate rages across Islamabad on the pros and cons of Pakistan’s deeper involvement in Middle East tensions, western diplomatic observers are struck by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government’s failure to become more transparent as it pursues potentially significant policy choices.

“It is mind boggling that you have a government with a majority in parliament but little faith in the parliamentary processes. There is so much secrecy,” said one senior western diplomat on Wednesday. “A political government ought to go to parliament, put the matter on the table and prove that it has the backing of the majority. Pakistan’s tragedy is ultimately you have a democracy but not a [democratic] character,” he concluded.

We need to see & analyze this development beyond our Shia Sunni back ground. Think what is good for Pakistan. We need to see in past during Hard Time who stood with Pakistan and who distant. Whom we get most of our Foreign remittances via expat Pakistanis.

ISLAMABAD: In an obvious reference to Iran, Bahrain said on Thursday that it expected Pakistan to have a moderating effect on Muslim countries in the region.

“We look forward to Pakistan having influence of moderation and peace,” Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said at a press conference at the conclusion of the three-day visit of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

During the king’s visit, Bahrain raised the issue of its troubled ties with Iran, accusing it of interference in the kingdom, which recently witnessed an uprising against the monarchy.

Pakistan helped it in putting down the revolt by allowing Bahrain to recruit retired security personnel for its security forces.

A joint communique issued at the conclusion of the visit said the two sides had exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and stressed the importance of peaceful resolution of all issues, both regional and extra-regional, through dialogue.

Though the Bahraini foreign minister denied having sought Pakistani support against Iran or asking Islamabad for mediation, his statement at the media conference hinted at Manama’s desire for outside help in fixing problems with Tehran.

The foreign minister said his government wanted to mend fences with Iran, but the Iranian government was not serious in a rapprochement.

“We want them to take steps to mend this relationship,” he added.

On finding Pakistan’s government not too keen in further discussing the Iran issue because of local political expediencies, Foreign Minister Khalifa said: “We have explained our position at meetings and agree that Pakistan has to have balanced relations with all countries in the region.”

Speaking about Pak-Bahrain defence cooperation, the foreign minister said it was historical and wide-ranging.

Recalling the King Hamad’s unprecedented visit to Joint Services Headquarters, he said the trip marked the “culmination” of one phase of cooperation and laid the foundation for much more extensive relationship in future.

He refused to give details about the nature of defence cooperation being worked out by the two countries, saying it should be left for the military side. He did not deny that Pakistan was considering sending more security forces to Bahrain and said details of cooperation could not be disclosed.

The joint communique said that both countries, while agreeing to intensification of bilateral defence and security cooperation, decided to initiate annual security dialogue.

“It was also decided to strengthen sharing of information, intelligence and assessments,” the communique added.

Bahrain has reportedly shown interest in making defence purchases from Pakistan and also sought help in military training.

The communique further noted that there was agreement on further enhancing high-level political exchanges, cooperation in the fields of economic, trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts.

The two sides agreed to a meeting of foreign ministers in later half of this year to continue their consultations, which the communique said would serve as an umbrella framework for bilateral cooperation.

one side is the temptation of easy , no strings attached cash from bahrain and saudi that would help alot in these troubling financial times , but then again, we cannot afford to isolate iran which wants to forge ahead with gas pipeline project

i dont know which option is better , but my hunch is that bahrain and saudi arabia are a lost cause and would fall in the next 5 years like syria, egypt etc. this ofc, would not be good for us since millions of pakistanis are employed in these nations and their remittances make a major chuck of our earnings